centrotherm photovoltaics very satisfied with trade fair in Valencia
Blaubeuren (euro adhoc) -
- Orders total around EUR 70 million - Particularly strong feedback from growth market of India - High demand for integrated factory and new optical measurement systems confirms Group strategy
ots.CorporateNews transmitted by euro adhoc. The issuer is responsible for the content of this announcement.
companies/Orders
centrotherm photovoltaics very satisfied with trade fair in Valencia
- Orders total around EUR 70 million - Particularly strong feedback from growth market of India - High demand for integrated factory and new optical measurement systems confirms Group strategy
Blaubeuren, September 17, 2008 - "The trade fair in Valencia was a very successful one for us," noted Robert Hartung, Spokesman for the Management Board of centrotherm photovoltaics AG. As with other companies in the photovoltaics supply sector, the company is assuming the market will continue to register good growth. Robert Hartung continued: "Major interest in our products, consultancy services, and technology has fed through to a number of orders." In the core solar cell business alone, where centrotherm photovoltaics offers equipment and technology for the production of solar cells, orders and declarations of intent with a total value of around EUR 50 million were signed at this year's European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition (Valencia, Spain, September 1 to 4, 2008).
Demand also continues at an unabatedly high level in the high-growth solar silicon area: Engineering orders with a total volume of around EUR 20 million were signed and agreed in Valencia. These customers were mainly from the growth market of India, as well as Eastern Europe. Besides India, where there is a particularly high degree of interest in equipment and technology to produce polysilicon and thin-film modules, the company is generally registering strong demand from China, Taiwan, and Malaysia. "We have managed to continuously reinforce our strong position in the Asian market," said Robert Hartung. centrotherm photovoltaics already generates around 65 percent of its total sales in the Asian region. Hartung continued: "We also identify the greatest growth potential in this region in the medium term."
The high-performance optical measurement systems, which deliver sustained quality control and improvements in the production of wafers, solar cells, and modules, and which were presented for the first time at the trade fair, also encountered a very positive response from customers. The "GP Solar Inspect" product line is the result of in-house research and development, and is mainly based on work conducted at GP Solar GmbH, a company which centrotherm photovoltaics has owned in its entirety since May this year. "With our strong cell business, we have an excellent basis to continuously expand our range of services along the solar value-creation chain," explained Hartung. "Its success confirms our strategy of integrating key equipment and technology into the Group in order to expand our position of technological leadership." Major interest in integrated factories also confirms this approach. With the full takeover of SolMic GmbH, which was put in train in August 2008, centrotherm photovoltaics is fully bundling technology and plant engineering under one roof, and is strengthening its expertise in the area of fully integrated solar factories. Hartung went on to comment: "We received highly positive feedback on this topic in Valencia, and we shall continue the conversations we started over the coming weeks."
end of announcement euro adhoc
Further inquiry note:
centrotherm photovoltaics AG corporate contact:
Saskia Schultz-Ebert
Senior Manager Investor Relations
Tel: +49 7344 918-8890
E-mail: saskia.schultz-ebert@centrotherm.de
Press contact:
Christina Siebels, Grit Pauli
HOSCHKE & CONSORTEN Public Relations GmbH
Tel: +49 40 3690 50-58 /-31
E-mail: c.siebels@hoschke.de; g.pauli@hoschke.de
Branche: Energy
ISIN: DE000A0JMMN2
WKN: A0JMMN
Börsen: Börse Frankfurt / regulated dealing/prime standard